Speak up on doping, Raiders players to be told

Canberra Raiders chief executive Don Furner will urge any players who may have information on the club's pending drug probe to come forward when he addresses the group on Thursday.

And he has reassured fans by confirming no Raiders player has tested positive to a performance-enhancing drug and the club's staff have been cleared of any systematic doping practices.

Canberra was one of six NRL clubs called to Sydney on Tuesday for a confidential briefing following the Australian Crime Commission's report into sports doping and corruption.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority will take charge of the investigation from the ACC report. Furner is hopeful one of their representatives will be present when he addresses the players.

At this stage the Raiders have limited information on the investigation, and it is understood:

■ They are unaware whether a current or former player, or players, are part of the investigation;

■ They have been told there is no link to any current or former coaching staff members; and

■ Anyone found guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs has no place at the club.

"They didn't confirm or deny anything, other than there might be a link they're looking at and they want us to ask players if they have any information to come forward, which we're happy to do,'' Furner said.

"That's what I'll do to the whole group, and that's why I'd love ASADA to be there.

"There may or not be a link with an individual who has acted alone, without the club's knowledge.

"We're happy to assist them to find that out.''

Fairfax Media understands club bosses and the board are fuming the entire Raiders organisation has been implicated, without been given any knowledge of what the investigation pertains to.

"It's a very frustrating and slow process, and all I can say is I'm 100 per cent certain the club has done absolutely nothing wrong,'' Furner said.

"Whether an individual has taken some of this performance-enhancing particular drug, that's what ASADA's investigation will be about, and we're happy to co-operate with them.

"There's not much more we can do at this stage, because we would definitely act if we had any information, we just don't."

He said he had ''100 per cent faith'' in his staff's integrity, and that it would be nearly impossible to hide any illegal procedures.

''If that happened [a positive test] it's out there. Unlike the AFL's code ours is automatic, it would be referred by ASADA straight to the NRL,'' Furner said.

''All our testing that was done externally and internally last year gets audited, and as I was told there's not one positive test across any of the clubs in the NRL. We had about 250 tests last year which were in-season, out-of-season, performance-enhancing and recreational, and nothing came up.''

Furner declared the Raiders would adopt a zero-tolerance policy if any players were found guilty of wrongdoing.

''Carry out the investigation and find the person, if indeed there is one, and we'll definitely act,'' he said. ''We won't even have to act, because if they've breached the WADA [World Anti-Doping Authority] code they're banned from the sport.

''If there is an individual that has taken it we will assist them in finding that out, and they won't be with the club, there's no question about that.

''We've got a proud history of [discipline], we're not going to damage the club or the brand and all the sponsors for one person.''

Furner is hopeful the issue won't become a distraction for his players ahead of their round one clash at Penrith on March 10.